Next Thursday, September 22, at 6:30 PM, the South End branch will be open to host a remarkable slide show by Talkin' Birds show host, Ray Brown, whose illuminating bird commentary is a regular feature on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon on Saturday mornings. Brown, who also is a radio host on the classical music station WCRB and a well-known WGBH-TV and radio fundraiser, is a longtime South End resident. In The Magic of Migration, he will answer what he imagines may be among your birding questions: Why do birds migrate? How do they decide when — and where — to go? How do they find their way? And, is it true that one bird species has been known to fly more than 7,000 miles…non-stop? Brown will also address the many threats to birds, both during migration and on their breeding and wintering grounds, and what we can all do to help birds survive.

Urban birding display with nests made by birds and by students at the Children's Art Centre

The bird-migration slide show accompanies the Urban Birding exhibit currently on display in the Tremont Street window of the South End library, a collaboration between USES's Children's Arts Centre on Rutland Street and Mass. Audubon's Boston Nature Center (BNC). The latest Local Focus project is the fifth one sponsored by FOSEL to showcase local artists, creative entrepreneurs and non-profits in the library's prominent window spaces. For the September exhibit, students in the CAC Vacation Arts program visited the Mattapan bird sanctuary on the former grounds of Boston State Hospital, and studied birds and the ways in which they build and maintain their nests. Inspired by their visit, the children made their own nests from natural and studio materials. Their creations, as well as nests made by actual, birds are featured in the library window.

The event is free. We serve refreshments. Seating is limited. The South End library is fully handicapped accessible.

Mass Audubon is generously offering reduced-rate annual memberships to the South End library's patrons, which provides free access to all Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries and a variety of other discounts. Membership forms are available at the library.